With rising concerns over climate change and increasing commitment from travel companies to become carbon neutral in the future, it is vital that airlines adapt to this emerging demand and harness technology to create new, greener ways of flying, says GlobalData.
According to GlobalData’s latest Covid-19 Recovery Consumer Survey, which was conducted in October, 43 per cent of respondents globally said that they are always or often influenced by how ethical/environmentally-friendly/socially responsible a product or service is. This means airlines that react quickest to the growing desire for sustainable travel will hold a competitive advantage over rivals, thereby, potentially becoming more appealing to nearly half of all travellers.
Shifting traveller demands mean airlines which invest in sustainable alternative fuels will be better poised to capitalise on post-pandemic demand
Ben Cordwell, travel and tourism analyst at GlobalData, commented: “Taking into account the global Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a dramatic shift in market needs and wants. Airlines that react quickest to these changing demands will have an opportunity to cement themselves as market leaders within the aviation industry and accelerate recovery.”
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a clean substitute for fossil jet fuels as it is produced from sustainable sources such as waste oils, agriculture residues, or non-fossil CO2. Hence, the adoption of SAF could attract a significant number of travellers who are growing increasingly concerned about the emissions that airlines are creating, by helping them to meet their own sustainability goals as individuals.
In the post-Covid landscape, increased health and safety procedures will be at the forefront of customer expectations and it has been suggested that a new ‘Gen-C’ tourist will emerge from the pandemic. This tourist will not be defined by traditional demographics, but a need for reassurances around health and safety. Airlines that can tap into this market will be most likely to experience a stronger recovery than their competitors.
Cordwell added: “There will likely be an increased demand for low-cost airlines as GlobalData survey states that 47 per cent of respondents globally believe that the economic situation in their country will worsen in the coming months. Furthermore, over a quarter (27 per cent) of respondents believe their own personal financial situation will worsen.
“This highlights the growing role that budget airlines will likely play in the aviation market over the coming years and full-service airlines will likely need to adopt similar pricing strategies to compete in an already hyper-competitive industry.”
With rising concerns over climate change and increasing commitment from travel companies to become carbon neutral in the future, it is vital that airlines adapt to this emerging demand and harness technology to create new, greener ways of flying, says GlobalData.
According to GlobalData’s latest Covid-19 Recovery Consumer Survey, which was conducted in October, 43 per cent of respondents globally said that they are always or often influenced by how ethical/environmentally-friendly/socially responsible a product or service is. This means airlines that react quickest to the growing desire for sustainable travel will hold a competitive advantage over rivals, thereby, potentially becoming more appealing to nearly half of all travellers.
Ben Cordwell, travel and tourism analyst at GlobalData, commented: “Taking into account the global Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a dramatic shift in market needs and wants. Airlines that react quickest to these changing demands will have an opportunity to cement themselves as market leaders within the aviation industry and accelerate recovery.”
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a clean substitute for fossil jet fuels as it is produced from sustainable sources such as waste oils, agriculture residues, or non-fossil CO2. Hence, the adoption of SAF could attract a significant number of travellers who are growing increasingly concerned about the emissions that airlines are creating, by helping them to meet their own sustainability goals as individuals.
In the post-Covid landscape, increased health and safety procedures will be at the forefront of customer expectations and it has been suggested that a new ‘Gen-C’ tourist will emerge from the pandemic. This tourist will not be defined by traditional demographics, but a need for reassurances around health and safety. Airlines that can tap into this market will be most likely to experience a stronger recovery than their competitors.
Cordwell added: “There will likely be an increased demand for low-cost airlines as GlobalData survey states that 47 per cent of respondents globally believe that the economic situation in their country will worsen in the coming months. Furthermore, over a quarter (27 per cent) of respondents believe their own personal financial situation will worsen.
“This highlights the growing role that budget airlines will likely play in the aviation market over the coming years and full-service airlines will likely need to adopt similar pricing strategies to compete in an already hyper-competitive industry.”